Chairman of the Met police federation has said that members of the public should step in and support police officers who are being assaulted. After a video emerged of two officers being seriously assaulted, whilst people stood by and filmed it. Would you step in ? Would you risk potentially end up getting a blade in your chest ? Is filming an incident actually a good idea because it could then be used as evidence to prosecute the assailants?
I'd help them but not everyone is going to do that and I understand that getting into that kind of situation is scary and not everyone can do it.
I’d probably step in if I was on my own. I have done before (not with police) and I’ve taken a couple of punches for my troubles. But if I was with my daughter, I’m not so sure what I’d do.
Yeah you have to look out for your family but I'd get them to go somewhere and wait, different again if they are armed tough call.
15-20 years ago I’d definitely step in and try to help. Nowadays, I’m not so sure. You’re just as liable to cop a blade or a bullet as not...
I thought it was (or they are trying to make it) law, that you have to help? Be tough to implement that one. Each situation is different.
Any link to the actual story ? It would very much depend on the scenario but at the end of the day police are just normal people putting their lives in danger for society. I would like to think I would try to defend anyone getting attacked in public if they were wearing a uniform or not. If it was a group of yoot dem carrying blades then no.
Yeah you can’t compel people to get involved. What if they are physically impaired ? You can’t charge somebody in a wheelchair for not assisting. And That’s just one example. Even then I’m still not sure it’s good advice from the police to be encouraging people to put themselves at risk, by intervening in a violent situation.
That’s the issue though, or one of them. Would you have time to assess if they were carrying blades ? Or just jump in and try and help regardless. These situations happen so quickly that you have to make an instinct call.
Mentally it's just not in some people as well as physically, violence isn't pleasant and seeing it is enough to scare some people. I don't think those people should be judged as I've seen tough acting grown men shy away from and feel terrible afterwards but it's just not in them. It would be nice if violence wasn't in any of us.
No, I wouldn't. I'd be more inclined to step in to help Joe Public than I would the police. The police are, or should be, equipped to deal with this. That they may not be is really not my problem, just like burglaries and such like aren't the police's problem any more.
